I want God to ignite my words with a match made in Heaven so that they burn in the heart of everyone who reads them or hears them, making them a furnace that spreads God’s warmth and light around the world.

Though out the past 2,000 years there have been many revival movements and spiritual awakenings (large and small) in Christianity. In the 1970s, I was part of one of those movements which was called the Jesus Movement. It was a wonderful time of hundreds of thousands of young adults encountering and surrendering their lives to Jesus, all across America.

Since that time, I’ve read every book about Christian revival that I can find. And I long, with all my heart, to see and be a part of another mighty move of God. Revival transforms church from a mere methodical meeting into a glorious gathering demonstrating and displaying God’s power and presence. And then it begins to transform society.

So what is the key to revival? After 40 years of reading and prayer about revival, I believe this is the secret.

When a group gathers to freely encounter and obey the living, resurrected Jesus Christ, the First Century church (as described in the book of Acts) happens in the Twenty-First Century!

When church meets, not to present a prearranged program to a congregation, but rather, to be programmed by the living God, revival begins to happen. The Bible puts it this way: “Quench not the Spirit.” Don’t avoid, resist, or stop the Spirit’s control of a church meeting. If, instead, we allow the Spirit, Himself, to direct the meeting, spiritual awakening will occur in that meeting.

This is not just a theory. This idea has been demonstrated every week for the past 6 1/2 years at The Salvation Army Berry Street in Nashville, Tennessee, where instead of a programmed Sunday meeting, everyday people are allowed to show and tell what God has done, as they feel led by the Spirit. Come see: Sundays at 10:45 am., 225 Berry St., 37207.

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About Steve Simms

I like to look and think outside the box. In college I encountered Jesus Christ and I have been passionate about trying to get to know Him better ever since. My wife and I co-lead a non-traditional expression of the body of Christ in Nashville based on open participation and Spirit-led sharing. We long to see the power and passion of the first Christ-followers come to life in our time. I have written a book about our experiences called, "Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible--Ekklesia" that is available in Kindle & paperback @ http://amzn.to/2nCr5dP